Subscriber identification module management method and electronic device supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577692-B2
Application number	US-201514804001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 19, 2014
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device and method of managing a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) are provided. The electronic device includes a memory configured to store at least one instruction; and a provisioning manager connected to the memory, wherein the instruction related to an operation performance of the provisioning manager is configured to search for an accessible communication service provider network on the basis of a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) where a profile relating to a communication service connection of at least one communication service provider network is not installed and collect at least one communication service provider information on the basis of the found communication service provider network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a subscriber identification module (SIM);
a memory configured to store at least one instruction; and
a processor connected to the memory and the SIM, and configured to execute the at least one instruction to search for an accessible communication service provider based on at least one wireless communication module, collect information on the accessible communication service provider, and output the collected information,
wherein a profile relating to the accessible communication service provider is not installed in the SIM, and
wherein the at least one instruction further comprises to separate information of the accessible communication service provider from an uninstalled profile related to the accessible communication service provider by a profile present in the SIM in order of output and to display the separated information.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction comprises:
when a selection of a communication service provider is received, to collect and transmit electronic device information corresponding to the selected communication service provider to the selected communication service provider.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein collecting electronic device related information device unique information of the electronic device, SIM identification information of the SIM, and server identification information of a device supporting profile transmission.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one instruction comprises at least one of:
an instruction to collect the SIM identification information or the server identification information; and
an instruction to transmit the device unique information of the electronic device to a management server device managing SIM related information and receive the SIM identification information or the server identification information from the management server device.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one instruction further comprises receiving a profile that the selected communication service provider requests to be generated.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one instruction comprises at least one of:
an instruction to establish a session, between the SIM and a profile transmission support device corresponding to server identification information and control the SIM to receive, via the session, a profile from a support device that generates the profile; and
an instruction to install the received profile in the SIM.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction, when the electronic device changes from a turn-off state to a turn-on state, the at least one wireless communication module searches for the accessible communication service provider or searches for the accessible communication service provider in accordance with receiving a request to change communication service provider.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction further comprises obtaining SIM related information from the SIM or an external server device managing SIM related information in correspondence to an input event and display the obtained SIM related information.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one instruction further comprises outputting text information corresponding to the SIM related information or output code information corresponding to the SIM related information.

10. A method of managing a subscriber identification module (SIM), comprising:
searching for an accessible communication service provider based on at least one wireless communication module;
collecting information from the accessible communication service provider; and
outputting the collected information,
wherein a profile relating to a communication service connection provided from the accessible communication service provider is not installed, and
wherein outputting the collected information comprises separating information from the accessible communication service provider from an uninstalled profile accessible communication service provider by a profile preset in the SIM in order of output and display in the separated information.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising;
receiving a selection of the communication service provider;
collecting electronic device related information corresponding to the received selection; and
transmitting the collected electronic device related information to the selected communication service provider.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein collecting electronic device related information comprises collecting at least one of device unique information of the electronic device, SIM identification information, and server identification information of a device supporting profile transmission.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein collecting electronic device related information comprises at least one of:
collecting the SIM identification information or the server identification information written in the SIM; and
transmitting the device unique information of the electronic device to a management server device managing SIM related information and receiving the SIM identification information or the server identification information from the management server device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving a profile that the accessible communication service provider requests to be generated.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
establishing a session between the SIM and a profile transmission support device corresponding to the server identification information; and
receiving, by the SIM, a profile from a support device that generates the profile through the session.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising installing the received profile on the SIM.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein searching for the accessible communication service provider comprises at least one of:
if an electronic device changes from a turn-off state to a turn-on state, searching for the accessible communication service provider; and
searching for the accessible communication service provider in accordance with receiving a request to change communication service provider.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein outputting the collected communication service provider information comprises:
obtaining SIM related information from the SIM or an external server device managing SIM related information in correspondence to an input event to display the obtained SIM related information.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein displaying the SIM related information comprises at least one of:
outputting text information corresponding to the SIM related information; and
outputting code information corresponding to the SIM related information.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sang Soo
• Lee Duc Key
• Yeoum Tae Sun

Classifications

• H04W8/18

  Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W8/205 Primary

  Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title

• H04B1/3816 Primary

  Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices · CPC title